Four arrested over deadly Gwangju library collapse

Four key figures held responsible for negligence in the Gwangju Representative Library collapse have been detained, six months after the accident.

Judge Choi Yun-young of the Gwangju District Court issued pre-arrest warrants Friday for four suspects — identified only as A and others — on charges including professional negligence resulting in death. Those detained include the site manager of the library's contractor, the chief executive and an employee of a subcontractor, and the head of the construction supervision team.

The court had conducted pre-arrest hearings for 11 suspects on the same charges Thursday afternoon and found detention necessary for the four.

Arrest warrants for the remaining seven suspects — including contractor employees and on-site welders — were rejected.

The collapse occurred Dec. 11 last year at the construction site of the Gwangju Representative Library in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. A steel structure gave way, burying four workers under the rubble — including construction laborers and employees of a government-supplied materials vendor — all of whom died.